TEDxUCIrvine set for March 3

UC Irvine students will hold the campus’s firstTEDxUCIrvine event from 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 3, in the Claire Trevor Theatre. The theme, “Under Construction Indefinitely,” plays off the UCI acronym and refers to how the science, art and knowledge produced by students, faculty and alumni alter the ever-changing social and technological landscape.

The conference, hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist and philanthropist Michele Ruiz, will feature sessions on building a sustainable future, a better world and UCI pride. Eighteen speakers will cover topics such as water quality and conservation, e-sports, community problem solving and hip-hop culture. They include the following:

• Evolutionary biologist Francisco J. Ayala, a University Professor and Donald Bren Professor at UCI, is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a recipient of the 2001 National Medal of Science, and the winner of the 2010 Templeton Prize for exceptional contributions to affirming life’s spiritual dimension. He has written numerous books and articles about the intersection of science and religion.
• Erwin Chemerinsky, founding dean and Distinguished Professor at UCI’s School of Law, is an expert in constitutional law, federal practice, civil rights and appellate litigation. He has written seven books, most recently The Conservative Assault on the Constitution, and frequently argues cases before the nation’s highest courts. He also comments on legal issues for national and local media.
• International Nomads aims to promote social action through creative media, adventure travel and real-life stories. It was founded by 2011 UCI alumni Ryon Tanara, Graham Michael Freeman and Amy Chan, who decided to travel the globe together after graduation. With no itinerary, they set off on an adventure that changed their outlooks on people, culture and life. Their websiteis popular around the world.
• Ankita Raturi spent her childhood in Kenya and Papua New Guinea, where she was inspired by her father’s projects in renewable energy and her parents’ commitment to community service. Her interest in green technology, open-source software, energy and science led her to UCI’s Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences, where she is pursuing a master’s in informatics. She works on sustainable projects that benefit people and allow them to maintain a positive relationship with the system in which they exist.

TED is a nonprofit devoted to ideas worth spreading. It started in 1984 as a conference for people in technology, entertainment and design. Since then, it has broadened its scope and created TEDx – a program of local, self-organized events that let participants share experiences that spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.

TEDxUCIrvine is being put together by Kamrin Klauschie, Jose Luis Ramos and Nithin Jilla – students who were inspired by their passion for TED – and a team of UCI staff and community advisers. They hope to reach out to a university audience and leave a lasting impression of the potential that exists at UCI.

Registration for tickets can be completed at theTEDxUCIrvine website. The cost is $30 for alumni, faculty, staff and community members. As many as 150 UCI students will be accepted – at no cost – by application only.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led byChancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UCI is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff. Orange County’s second-largest employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.

News Radio: UCI maintains on campus an ISDN line for conducting interviews with its faculty and experts. Use of this line is available for a fee to radio news programs/stations that wish to interview UCI faculty and experts. Use of the ISDN line is subject to availability and approval by the university.